It was a good ten minutes later I placed another shell in my bag and looked around. Most of the people on the beach has left. I moved toward the rock pool shores away from the surfing area.
I squinted against the bright sun, focusing my eyes on a shiny object. Was that a shell? I dropped my bag and walked toward the object that was closer to the forest than the beach. As I got closer, I realised that the object was indeed a shell.
I picked it up and brushed the sand off. I saw the nearly rainbow-like colours on the pearl-like shell. I turned it around in my hands and noticed the letter engraved into it and froze.
10 months ago
“What are you doing?”
I looked up and pulled the shell under me. “Nothing,” I sang. James raised an eyebrow.
“Show me,” he said, grasping my sides and rolling me over. I lay back on the sand hiding the shell in my hand.
“Over my dead body.”
He made a grab for me but I stood up quickly and made a run for it.
“Iv!” he yelled. I looked over my shoulder to see him running after me.
I yelped, running faster, but he was faster. I felt two hands around my waist, pulling me back against his chest.
“Ivory,” said the stern voice.
Laughter bubbled from me as he held me against him and I leaned in his hands trying to pull out.
“Let me go!” I laughed, trying to get away. He spun me around so now I was looking into his eyes.
“Ivory.”
“Yes?”
“Show me,” he said. With one arm wrapped around my waist, he leaned in, his mouth centimetres away from mine.
“Is that all you going to say?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. He chuckled and I could feel the rumble from his chest.
“What is it?” he asked. My eyes fluttered close as he traced my lips and stroked my cheek, running his finger down the nape of my neck across to my shoulder and down my arm till he reached my palm where I was holding the shell.
“You going to tell me, little Ivory?” he asked. I opened my eyes to look at him.
“It’s a shell.”
“I figured,” he said with a laugh.
“With our initials engraved,” I said.
He smiled. “Show me.” His fingers tried opening mine and I released them, giving him the shell. It was a colourful shell, one I’ve never seen before. He turned it over in his palm, a smile etching onto his face.
“I love it,” he said, quickly pecking my lips.
“Mine,” I snapped as I reached for it. He held it above my head beyond my reach. With a frown I folded my hands across my chest, or tried to, since he was still holding me and I leaned back.
“Nope, I’m going to keep it forever,” he said.
“Forever?” I said, scoffing. He leaned forward and I leaned back as far as I could.
“Forever,” he said, his lips so close I could nearly feel them.
Present Time
“Hey!”
I blinked back several times and found myself looking into a pair of green eyes. It was so sudden that I yelped and leaped backwards, tripping over to the sand. I looked up at Darius who was staring at me.
“What the heck. You scared the shit out of me.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You were standing there like a frozen idiot for the past three minutes while I was talking.”
“You were talking?” I asked, standing up and brushing the dust off my dress.
“Yes, what’s that?” he asked, nodding toward my hand.
“Nothing. Just a shell,” I said, holding it up. The initials weren’t ours, and it wasn’t the exact shell I had but it was so close it reminded me of the time I wanted to forget.
“Anyway, we should go.”
“Huh?” I asked.
“It’s nearly time for the football match,” he said. I nodded with a smile and grabbed the bag of shells he was holding for me.
“By the way, you’re loading the car,” he said, smirking and walking off. I looked at him in disbelief.
“Hey, that’s not fair!” I yelled at his retreating figure.
Chapter fifteen
Like a man of his word, which I don’t appreciate, he had made me pack the whole car up. I shouldn't have brought all that stuff if I wasn't going to use it.
How was I meant to know! I thought I would use all that stuff. Sheesh.
"What are all those for, anyway?" He was referring to the three bags on my lap. I smiled, looking down at the seashells as he pulled into our driveway.
"Oh, we’ll us-" I stopped mid sentence, my mouth hanging open as I took in the scene in front of me.
"Is there a party that we are unaware of?" I asked. Darius looked at me with the same look of confusion etched onto his face. In our driveway - well, the driveway for this week – were three cars I had never ever seen before.
Darius swore under his breath, braking the car suddenly that I flew forward before my seat belt pulled me back.
"Okay? Care to share?" I asked. This person beside me, who was finally acting like a real human the past days, turned back to his old self. Cold. Businesslike. I can sense that this wasn’t going to be good.